In a significant political development on Saturday, the Kolkata North MP was seen travelling in the same vehicle as rebel TMC MP Shatabdi Roy after arriving in New Delhi.
The two leaders reportedly headed directly from the airport to the residence of senior BJP leader and Union Minister Bhupender Yadav, where a meeting involving dissident TMC MPs was already underway.
According to reports, Bandyopadhyay and Roy travelled from Kolkata to Delhi on the same flight on Saturday morning.
After landing in the national capital, the two MPs left the airport together in a single vehicle and proceeded to Bhupender Yadav’s residence.
The meeting has attracted attention because several rounds of discussions involving rebel TMC parliamentarians have reportedly taken place at the Union minister’s residence over the past few days.
Shatabdi Roy and Barasat MP Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar have emerged as prominent faces of the dissident faction within the party.
Against this backdrop, Bandyopadhyay’s decision to travel with Roy and attend the gathering is being viewed as politically significant.
Rebel camp gains visibility
The latest development comes amid continuing political uncertainty within the TMC following the West Bengal Assembly elections.
The party has witnessed visible turmoil in both its legislative and parliamentary wings.
On Monday, divisions within the TMC’s Lok Sabha contingent reportedly came into the open while party chief Mamata Banerjee and national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee were in Delhi attending meetings of the INDIA bloc.
At the same time, a parallel political realignment appeared to be unfolding within the party’s parliamentary ranks.
Claims of support from majority of MPs
Earlier this week, Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar, one of the leading figures of the dissident group, claimed that nearly 20 TMC MPs were backing the rebel camp.
She indicated that the group favoured extending support to the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) at the Centre.
The claim gained further traction on Friday when a document carrying the signatures of 19 TMC MPs surfaced publicly.
However, Sudip Bandyopadhyay’s signature was not included in that document.
His appearance alongside Shatabdi Roy at Bhupender Yadav’s residence on Saturday has nevertheless added a fresh dimension to the ongoing political developments.